Saturday, October 22, 2016

Spamilton *** B-

Over the years, Gerard Alessandrini has provided immense pleasure with over 20 editions of his clever, funny series Forbidden Broadway. Writing a parody of Broadway’s current megahit was almost inevitable. First, let me warn you that if you haven’t seen Hamilton or at least become familiar with the score and you aren’t a big fan of Broadway musicals, especially those by Sondheim, you will not likely enjoy this show. Even though I had just seen Hamilton earlier this month, I found some of the skits hard to follow. Some of the funniest moments are when Alessandrini wanders away from his main target and gives us scenes from fake musicals such as “American Psycho in Paris” and “The Lion King and I.” The cast — Nicholas Edwards, Chris Anthony Giles, Larry Owens, Dan Rosales and Nora Schell — are terrific, as is guest diva Christine Pedi. The costumes by Dustin Cross are a hoot. The amusing choreography by Gerry McIntyre gets maximum use out of a postage-stamp-size stage. While there are many hilarious moments, I found this show less consistently enjoyable than Alessandrini’s earlier efforts. The show is at the Triad, a night club with uncomfortable general admission seating, iffy sightlines and a two-drink minimum. Running time: 75 minutes, no intermission.